Letters from the Brig
by KSCrusaders
Summary: A little ingenuity on the part of the Shadow Broker allows Shepard to write to Garrus after being brigged.  Letter-style one-shots taking place between ME2 and ME3.  FemShep/Garrus. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

PROLOGUE

Being friends with the Shadow Broker came with its advantages, but Garrus couldn't really believe that Shepard and Liara's carefully laid plan had actually worked. It was too much to hope for-until he heard the knock on his door a few weeks later and opened it to see Liara's smiling face.

"Nice place you've got here," she said by way of greeting, looking around Garrus's new office at the turian military headquarters. "Expert Reaper adviser, very fancy."

"Good to see you too, Liara," he said, shaking her hand. "Can I get you a drink or something?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. There are some Prothean ruins in the southern hemisphere that I'm taking a look at this afternoon." She looked around the office-typical enough for turian military, spartan and efficient, but the walls were covered in screens detailing supply chains in the colonies, emergency protocols for Palaven, weapons schematics...it reminded her of her Shadow Broker ship.

"You've been busy," said Liara. Garrus shrugged and sat back down in his chair.

"It's a token title and I've got a token team, but I might as well do some good with it."

"I'm glad your father came around. Every little bit counts now, especially since we don't know how much time Shepard bought us."

"So..." said Garrus, trying not to sound too hopeful. "Did it work?"

She chuckled. "Would I be here if it hadn't? From now on, my agents will deliver the messages to you, but I was in the area, so I thought I'd stop by in person." She reached into her jacket and pulled out a sealed envelope-an actual envelope, paper and all. It bore no marks or seals other than his name, written in neat, firm script across the front.

Garrus took it, incredulous. "Written messages? What is this, the 15th century?"

Liara shrugged. "The Alliance has got her locked down pretty tightly. She can see what's going on via a public Holonet terminal, but that's about it. Luckily for us, I don't think they expected anything this low-tech."

Unconsciously, Garrus clenched his hands. "They aren't mistreating her, are they?"

"Thinking of springing her already?" said Liara, raising her eyebrows. "She _is _still Commander Shepard. She's under house arrest, but no date's been set for her trial. I think the committee is happy to just talk to her for now."

"Good. I didn't think they'd actually imprison her, but if they did-"

"You'd storm Alliance headquarters to get her back," said Liara with a knowing smile. If Garrus had been human, he might have blushed. Instead, he just coughed and fiddled with his chair, staring at the letter in his hands. It occurred to him that he'd never seen Shepard's handwriting before. Crisp, clean, and neat, just like her.

"I'll leave you to it," said Liara. She was halfway out the door before Garrus called out to her.

"Liara-thanks. I know I can't write back, but...it means a lot."

"I know," she said quietly. "Shepard's my best friend, and you make her happy. It means a lot to me too." The door swung shut behind her and Garrus was left alone with his thoughts...and Shepard's letter. As soon as he could no longer hear Liara's receding footsteps down the hall, he slit the envelope open and shook out two sheets of paper, covered in that same neat writing.

_Garrus-_

_I'm not sure if when you'll get this, or if Liara's plan will even work, but even the thought of writing to you helps pass the time. I suppose you'll want to know all the details, but believe me, they're quite boring. I hopped on a shuttle, got escorted to the brig of a frigate, and got to Earth about a week ago. Very uneventful flight, so uneventful that the marine guarding me-Lieutenant James Vega if you wanna ping the Shadow Broker for dirt on him-offered to spar. I turned him down. It's unfair after I learned some hand-to-hand from one of the best :)_

_They let me keep my omnitool, so I spent the flight here and the last week compiling everything on the Reapers and Collectors, and I do mean everything. Everything from the Prothean beacon on Eden Prime down to every detail I can remember from the Collector mission. Even my nightmares, for all the good it'll do. So far so good-the committee is still convening, and I think they'll find it harder to believe I'm a terrorist AND a liar if I give them lots of easily corroborated details. I hope Alenko will be cooperative if they question him._

_I ran into him yesterday; he was waiting to see Anderson after he and I were done talking about the trial. Talk about awkward-he took one look at me and ran like a bat out of hell. If it wasn't so uncomfortable, it might have been funny. Am I a bad person for thinking that? Somehow I can imagine you giving me that evil grin of yours. You're a terrible influence, you know that? And you're probably proud of it too. Ass._

_OK, around this point you'll be worried about whether the Alliance is treating me well and musing on springing me in a hail of bullets or something equally dramatic. Um...please don't. I'm fine, I promise. I've got nice quarters and access to everything that the other marines here at headquarters do, I'm just not allowed to leave without an escort or enter classified areas. That's it. No cuffs, no brig...it's pretty obvious that I'm here to talk, not be imprisoned, and the whole trial is just a front to keep the batarians off my tail._

_Speaking of the batarians, things have been disturbingly quiet from their sector of space. There's nothing concrete on the Reapers even though they were supposed to enter from batarian space. Obviously there's plenty of propaganda on how I'm the worst war criminal in galactic history. Apparently I've topped Saren in less than two years!_

_...all right, that wasn't funny. Sorry. I just-I know I need to be here on Earth, both politically and strategically to advise the Alliance, but I miss space. I miss Normandy. _

_And most of all, I miss you._

_-Kaliya_

Garrus's hands shook ever so slightly as he put down the letter. She'd signed it with her first name. Kaliya. A letter for Garrus, from Kaliya. There were no orders from Commander Shepard, no plans to deal with the Reapers. It wasn't what he'd expected at all.

He scanned her letter with his omnitool, then on a whim, tacked it up on the wall alongside one of the many monitors. It fluttered there, almost comical against the many flickering screens. He took one last look at her signature and smiled to himself.

Today was going to be a good day.


	2. Chapter 1

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

It was quiet in the mess during the evenings, and the wide windows facing out toward Vancouver made for a spectacular sight. Kaliya Shepard settled down by one of the windows, nursing a cup of tea as she pulled an old-fashioned pen and some sheets of paper out of her pocket. She doodled idly around the margins for a minute or two, wondering exactly what she was going to say.

The truth of it was often, she was simply bored. There was plenty to do, and she was up to her eyeballs in people who wanted to talk. She'd sent so many mission briefs and told so many people what had happened with Cerberus and the Collectors that she could practically give the whole spiel from memory. But she wasn't met to sit behind a desk and plan, waiting for other people to put things into motion. She was meant to be out there, fighting the Reapers herself.

Like Mordin often said, someone else might get it wrong. But dwelling on what she couldn't do helped no one. She put pen to paper and started to write.

_Garrus-_

_I think the housekeeper is scared of me. She walked in on me while I was meditating, and apparently I was glowing? I learned the meditation technique from Samara, but I thought only asari glowed like that. I must not have even noticed her enter and leave, but this morning Anderson dropped by and told me to stop alarming the staff. I told him I didn't do it on purpose and he gave me a very dubious look. *sigh* You kill a few Reapers and no one believes you when you tell them you aren't all that scary. Honest._

_I wish you could send me messages back. It's too risky, but there are some things I'd like to know. I've been able to keep up with what most of you are doing (you've certainly been busy) through trawling the Holonet, but not a peep so far on Miranda or Thane. Could you please look into that for me and make sure they're ok? God, I hope Cerberus hasn't caught up with Miranda. I'll hand the Illusive Man his own fucking head on a spike first, house arrest or not. (Though I'll still ask you not to spring me dramatically.)_

_Speaking of Cerberus, the Alliance has decided to detain several of our old Cerberus crew as "persons of interest." Gabby, Ken, Kelly...and they're also retrofitting Normandy to "fit Alliance standards." I guess that means no more comfy leather seats for Joker. I didn't tell them about EDI; do you think that was the right call? I've been very forthcoming, even offered a lot of information on Cerberus as a gesture of goodwill, but something tells me the Alliance won't be too understanding about the unshackled AI aboard my ship. I hope she and Joker are ok; he dropped by and told me he's usually on board (guarded) during the retrofits, so it shouldn't be anything too egregious._

_Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to recalibrate Normandy's guns once I've got her back :)_

Shepard put down her pen and flexed her fingers. She hadn't done this much old-fashioned writing in-well, in as long as she could remember. She could shoot and punch and fight with the best of them, but writing cramped up her hands.

"Commander? You still out here?"

She turned hastily, flipping over the letter, and saw James Vega striding across the deserted mess toward her.

"I'm not an officer any more, Lieutenant," she reminded him mildly.

He shrugged. "Not to the brass, maybe. To most of us soldiers, you're still Commander Shepard."

She couldn't help a smile at that. "Thanks, Lieutenant. Nice to know not everyone thinks I'm a war criminal."

Vega made a face. "Brass knows if they actually court-martial you, there'll be a riot. Even they aren't that loco." His eyes moved to the sheets of paper resting under her hand. "Love letter for someone?" he asked with a grin.

Shepard felt her cheeks flush a little. "No. Just some notes for the committee," she lied quickly. "Writing longhand helps me think."

"That's all you do. Think and hole up with the committee and think some more," said Vega, leaning on the window across from her. "Seriously, Commander, what do you do for fun?"

"I'm supposed to be having fun while under house arrest?"

"Anderson did say you were a smart ass."

"That's charitable of him." Shepard leaned back in her chair and stretched, catlike. "I read, mostly."

"What, no drinking and partying? No secret vices?" She had to laugh at that, thinking of the letter to Garrus and the last time they'd been together. Yes, she did have vices, but nothing he needed to know.

"Other than committing a minor act of genocide and working with terrorists? Not really." Vega grinned at her and straightened up.

"All right, you don't wanna play. Night, Shepard," he said as he walked away. She nodded and waited until he'd left before getting up and heading the opposite direction toward her quarters. The lights in the mess would be turning out soon anyway. When she'd locked the door behind her, she closed her eyes and sighed, flopping down on her mattress.

She wanted to like Vega, she really did; it got lonely not having any real friends. But he was still her jailer. No amount of friendliness changed that, at least not for now. Propping herself up on her pillows, she pulled out the letter and continued writing.

_You know what's really maddening about house arrest? I've got all the drawbacks of being by myself with none of the benefits, isolation without privacy. The Alliance has loosened my leash considerably over the last month or so since I've been behaving, but it still gets old from time to time. At least there's a huge library here to keep my mind off it when I'm not talking to Alliance brass. They even have some physical books, Garrus!_

_OK, so only I would get excited about that. Stiill, it's a nice change from being up to my ears in datapads. And marines are always pranksters; I found some...interesting material in my copy of the definitive history of the First Contact War. Having dated a turian, I'm pretty sure you don't bend like that :)_

She put the pen down and rubbed her temples, feeling her cheeks start to burn. She'd been good for the last month or so, trying her best to keep the more...physical elements of her house arrest and isolation off her mind. Lack of physical contact had never bothered her before, but now, after Garrus-

"God damned turian," she said, running her hands through her hair in exasperation. He really had ruined her. She could still feel his breath on her skin, those strong hands running up her spine. Sometimes she even dreamed about it; that was always the worst, waking up alone. She'd taken to working longer hours just so she could sleep more soundly.

Shepard hugged her legs to her chest and drew a deep sigh. Dwelling on it wasn't going to help anyone, and it would only make Garrus worry about her when her letters reached him. She scribbled her signature at the bottom of the sheet of paper and tossed it in an envelope before poor judgment got the better of her.

The envelope went into her room's laundry chute, followed by her actual clothes. If she was honest with herself, Shepard had no idea which of the support staff was Liara's agent. They all acted the same around her as they did around everyone else. Probably what made him or her such a good source of information.

She laid back down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

It was hours before she drifted off to sleep, and when she did, she couldn't help but dream of him.


	3. Chapter 2

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

Garrus was pretty sure-no, absolutely positive-that something was wrong. It'd been almost two weeks since her previous letter that ended so abruptly, and in the meantime, he'd been hearing disturbing rumors from batarian space.

If there was one thing that made him sometimes want to shake Shepard until her teeth rattled in her skull, it was her blasted pride. Whenever she was frightened or upset or angry, he had to pry it out of her like a bad tooth before she'd admit it and let him, or anyone else, try to make her feel better. He'd finally been getting through to her, but now, the distance and the house arrest on Earth couldn't be doing her any favors.

There was a knock on his office door. "It's unlocked. Come in," he said, firmly shoving Shepard from his mind.

He expected one of his team members to turn up, but instead, Solana's face peeked around the door. "Hey," she said. "This came for you at home, but I think it was supposed to go here." She dropped a large crate on the floor next to his desk.

Garrus's heart jumped when he saw the crate, just as it had for every delivery during the last two weeks. Don't be stupid, he told himself. Don't get your hopes up. But he had a gut feeling about this package, as the humans would say.

"Thanks, Sol," he said, swiveling his chair around to smile at her. She crossed her arms and gave him a long, searching look.

"You're just like Dad," she said, shaking her head. She sat down on the corner of his desk, bright green eyes taking in all the monitors, all the reports streaming in. "Always burying yourself headfirst in work when there's something bothering you. I haven't seen the two of you for more than a few hours this last week."

"It's nothing-" Garrus began saying automatically.

"Bullshit, brother." Solana casually shoved aside a stack of datapads and swung her long legs around to rest on the armrests of his chair. "Tell me what's up. Or if it's too damn classified, at least tell me that so I know how much I should be worrying about you."

Garrus wheeled his chair back, glaring at his sister. It suddenly occurred to him that Shepard might like Solana; they were both like bloody varren when they wanted answers; the thought didn't cheer him in the slightest.

"Come on, Garrus," said Solana. "I'm not leaving until you cough it up."

Garrus's eyes drifted to the crate sitting next to his desk. "It's Shepard," he said quietly. "I'm worried about her."

There was a long silence in which Garrus didn't meet his sister's eyes. He knew that in her heart of hearts, Sol still blamed Shepard for dragging her brother off on a suicide mission, galaxy-saving be damned. Finally, Sol sighed and hopped off his desk.

"Fine. Go ahead and brood for all I care." She left the office, closing the door behind her a little more forcefully than necessary. Garrus cursed under his breath. He couldn't blame her sister, but there was no way that he could make her understand.

He ripped open the top of the crate and yanked Shepard's letter out from the pile of new weapons parts for his team. Expecting more bad news when he saw how thick the envelope was, he shook it open and almost fell out of his chair.

_Garrus-_

_Fuck you. Seriously. Do you have any idea how much time I've spent dreaming about you? I suppose it beats the nightmares from the beacon and, you know, dying, but it's awfully distracting waking up and wanting you more than anything in the world. You manage to be a horrible influence even when you're light-years away. That, Garrus Vakarian, is some serious talent._

Garrus stared like a slack-jawed idiot at the piece of paper in his hand, then slammed on his omnitool and locked his office door. Five pages. Five pages of letter. Hands shaking slightly, he picked it up again and resumed reading.

_I would kill to have you walk through that door this very moment. You'd give me that wicked grin of yours and sit down next to me, maybe quip about my weakness for men with scars. (By the way, it's not a thing for men with scars, it's a thing for one particular turian with scars. Big difference. There are plenty of cute marines wandering around with battle scars, and they don't do shit as far as I'm concerned.) I remember helping you change that bandage of yours; have you gotten rid of it yet? I'd like to be able to touch that side of your face without you wincing._

_And then after snarking at me for a bit, you'd look at me almost like you were asking permission. You were always so gentle, Garrus, even on Ilium. I think that took me by surprise more than anything else._

_I wonder what you'd be like if you decided to be a little rough. To be honest, I'd...like to see it sometime, that more dangerous side of you that always comes out in a firefight. Maybe I'd have to spar you first or something, though we both know how that would turn out: me on my back on the mat with you pinning me down so I couldn't move an inch. The first time that happened, I kissed you. Somehow I don't think you'd let me get away with that again just so I could win._

_Maybe this time you'd hold my arms above my head and tear me out of those skimpy sparring clothes, trapping me with your hips. We both know that without my biotics, you're the stronger and faster one. You'd drag your talons along my bare skin, leaving marks wherever you went. I think I'd keep those scars if you happened to draw a little blood. But I'm getting ahead of myself._

_I'd resist-a little. I'd struggle and squirm, but I wouldn't want you to stop for all the world, and I think you'd know that. You'd just hold on harder and order me to relax, your voice dropping an octave to that deep rumble. Insubordinate turian bastard. I'd glare at you, and you'd glare right back before leaning down and kissing me hard. You've gotten pretty good at that, by the way. I told you it was easy enough to figure out. You'd taste like smoke and pine and warm things...it's almost impossible to describe, and it makes my heart pound every time you're close._

_I wonder what I taste like to you._

Garrus put the letter down and closed his eyes, conjuring up Kaliya Shepard. Bright blue eyes, black hair, fair skin-what did she taste like? Soap, usually; a faint, clean scent. But it wasn't her taste that drove him wild when he nipped at her skin; it was the way she gasped and shuddered in his arms. Human skin was so much more sensitive and tactile; hearing her cry out his name with nothing more than a touch was by far his favorite part of being with her.

Just the thought of running his hands along her skin made him shudder; reading this at work was an unequivocally terrible idea. But he couldn't banish the image she'd conjured in his mind; he could almost feel her lying underneath him, soft skin juxtaposed with firm muscle.

He hadn't ever thought about...playing rougher with Shepard. She'd been so closed off when he first met her three years ago, and she still needed time to figure out her feelings despite their developing relationship. Garrus didn't want it to be just a physical relationship, and it'd seemed like more aggressive advances on his part would make it just that. Clearly he'd been mistaken.

_OK, I'm locking my damn door before I keep writing this. Anderson almost just walked in on me. I don't even want to think about how humiliating that would've been._

_Anyway, where was I? I believe you had me pinned to a sparring mat and almost out of my clothes. I'd want to touch you so badly, Garrus, to run my hands along your skin and feel your strength, but I don't think you'd let me. You'd tell me not to move, and I'd grin up at you and dare you to stop me._

_See, here's where things get interesting. I could use my biotics to break your grip. I could stop you from just taking me then and there on the floor. I could even turn the tables if I wanted and have my way with you. But the moment I felt your hands and mouth on me, I wouldn't want to. You could do anything you wanted, and I wouldn't be able to stop you._

_So tell me, Garrus, what exactly would you do if you had the heroine of the Citadel and scourge of the Reapers utterly at your mercy?_

_Maybe you'd haul me to my feet and shove me up against the metal walls of the sparring room. You're so much taller than me; you'd have to hold me up with my legs around your hips and my arms around your neck. Your skin would leave marks on mine where it pressed and chafed, but I'd be damned if I cared. You'd start off slow, but soon enough, I'd start urging you on. I wonder what you'd do then to shut me up._

_You do have those teeth. Perhaps you'd use them, just this once. I'm not sure I'd even feel it, or if it would just make me beg for you more. Chirality be damned, Garrus, I'd like to feel them sometime, just to know you'd left your mark in my very skin._

_Or maybe you'd turn me over onto my hands and knees and take me from behind on the sparring mat. You wouldn't be able to stop me from turning around and looking at you, but I suppose you could always grab some of the discarded clothes and blindfold me. We humans are so dependent on sight; not being able to tell what you were going to do to me would be terrifying, Garrus. Exhilarating._

_But I think I know what you'd do if you had me pinned and helpless before you, Garrus. You'd cradle my face in your hands and stroke my hair with your talons. And you'd ask...you'd ask to make love to me. The first time you said that, I could feel my eyes prickling. I never told you that, did I? Or maybe you know; you were always good at seeing right through me when no one else could._

_You'd kiss me and love me with hands and tongue and breath until I was gasping your name with every breath. And when the world shuddered around us, I'd close my eyes and feel the beat of your heart against mine._

_God, I really hope this letter finds only you and doesn't go astray. Consider this my revenge for three straight nights of aching for you._

_-Kaliya_

Revenge indeed. Garrus had never left the office in such a hurry as he did that day.


	4. Chapter 3

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

Indulging in her fantasies to Garrus had been completely and utterly stupid. But Shepard couldn't help it; she stared at the paper in front of her, wondering what she would say after that last lettero, and could only think of him. The first page was almost entirely covered with formless doodles, all she'd been able to show for a few hours of "writing."

What if her letter wound up in someone else's hands? Worse, what if Garrus was uncomfortable with what she'd written? She didn't think he would be; from Mordin's vids, she'd learned that turians could and did sometimes get rather rough with one another. Still, Garrus was sleeping with a human; how was she supposed to extrapolate about what he might or might not like?

Shepard made a face; one flick of her fingers, and her biotics crushed the doodle sheet into a ball the diameter of a dime. Another flick sent it whizzing into her waste chute. She amused herself like that for a little bit, bouncing paper balls off the walls and one another before she tired of it and left her bedroom for the library.

Vega was, as usual, guarding her door this evening. "Hey, Commander," he said, snapping into a sharp salute.

Shepard had stopped correcting him by now. "Hi, Lieutenant. Just on my way to the library."

Vega scoffed. "You know what you need, Shepard?"

"A longer leash?"

He grinned at her. "I'd cut you loose if I was in charge, Commander. You know that."

She smiled back at him. "I know, Lieutenant. Anyway, since you're apparently my shrink and my guard, go ahead and tell me what I need."

"Alcohol," said Vega, his grin widening. "Me and some of my buddies are heading down to the bar for some drinks. You should come with us."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "I'm under house arrest."

"Technically, you're not allowed to leave headquarters without an escort. Technically, a bunch of drunk marines count as an escort. Can I trust you not to book it?"

She laughed. "Now you're talking, Lieutenant. And I won't run away; how am I supposed to get my drinks paid for if I do?"

"You know, you're a lot less scary than you appear on the vids, Shepard," said Vega, punching her lightly on the shoulder. "I won't spread it around, though. I know you've got a reputation to maintain."

Fifteen minutes later found her in a shuttle with four of Vega's friends, sitting in the front passenger seat. They were all laughing and joking around, but they were suspiciously well-behaved for marines on leave. Shepard sighed to herself. She couldn't even be in a room anymore without the atmosphere instantly changing.

Vega must've caught her expression. "Shepard, when was the last time you went out drinking like a normal person?"

"Feels like a lifetime ago," admitted Shepard. "I suppose it was." She didn't say anything for the rest of the shuttle ride over to the bar, located on the top level of one of Vancouver's skyscrapers. The view really was something spectacular, soft lights and sharp edges. It all looked so peaceful and yet so full of life from up here.

"I'll get the first round," said Vega as they seated themselves at the bar. He slid each of them a shot of bourbon and raised his. "Bottoms up, boys!"

Shepard made a face as the stuff burned its down her throat, and one of Vega's friends-Cortez, she thought-chuckled slightly. "Not a liquor fan, Commander?"

"Not the cheap shit the Lieutenant gets you," she retorted. The marines all laughed, and she felt herself relax a little. It was good to be out of headquarters; no committee, no Reapers, no goddamn distracting letters to certain turians. "Next one's on me." She signaled the bartender for a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy.

"Showoff," grumbled Vega good-naturedly.

"Being able to collect the life insurance money on yourself comes with some perks," said Shepard with a wink. She sipped slowly at her glass, content to listen to the chatter of the Alliance crewmen all around her and watch the shuttles coming and going over Vancouver at night. It felt...nice being surrounded by normal people for a change, though it didn't last for long. Everyone was on duty the next morning, and after a few hours, they were all crammed back in the shuttle-with Shepard driving.

"I would'a been DD if you'd asked, Shepard," said Vega from the seat next to her, his speech only slightly slurred. She glanced sideways at him and smiled.

"You needed a break from guarding me, Lieutenant. I promise to behave."

"Better not've roofied me, Shepard."

"I'm hurt, Lieutenant. If I wanted to lock you unconscious, I wouldn't do it with a roofie." She smoothly pulled the shuttle into its dock back at Alliance headquarters and shooed everyone out. Some of them would have raging hangovers the next morning, but that came with an evening out at the bar for most marines. She made sure everyone had a more-or-less sober buddy before heading back to her quarters, intent on taking a long shower before bed.

Instead, the moment she opened the door, her eyes fell on her bedspread. In the very middle of her sheets sat a letter. Her stomach leapt into her throat.

No. She'd told him not to. It was too risky, too-

The envelope didn't disappear. Shepard dashed to the bed and tore it open with shaking fingers.

"Christ, Garrus," she murmured, propping herself up against her pillows. "You really are a crazy bastard."

_Kaliya-_

_You wouldn't believe how I had to beg Feron and Liara to do this for me. I know they're right. I know that even you won't be able to talk your way out of this if you get caught exchanging letters with me, but I couldn't help it. I had to talk to you._

_Your last letter reached me at work. I know you did that on purpose. With any luck, I've caught you somewhere equally compromising, though you're probably more discreet than I was. If you want to get a rise out of me again, you'll have to try harder next time. I thought about returning your serve, so to speak, before I realized I might not get another chance to say anything to you while you're brigged. You win this round, Kaliya...at least for now._

_Business first: I got a hold of Thane. He's on the Citadel being treated for his Kepral's Syndrome; it's gotten much worse than it was a few months ago. I sent him your regards as well as mine. Unfortunately, neither Liara nor I have been able to track down Miranda. I'm sorry. I know she's like a sister to you. Take heart: if we haven't been able to find her, chances are the Illusive Man hasn't either._

_As for the war, the long and the short of it is that I'm heading up an anti-Reaper task force here on Palaven. It's a token thing that I got after raising a fuss, but I'm doing the best I can with it. You sound so frustrated trapped there on Earth; believe me, I can empathize. Remember that you're not alone in this. Liara's pooling all of the Shadow Broker's assets. Grunt's gone back to help the krogan prepare for war. We're all doing everything we can, and you're the one who brought us all together._

_I'm...I suppose praying for you is the best way to describe it, but that's not quite right. I know you don't believe in such things anyway. There isn't a word for it in human language. I'm appealing to the spirits, asking them to give you courage and strength and comfort when I can't be there for you. I hope it helps. Maybe it already is if you can't keep your mind off of me ;)_

_And as for that...I honestly don't know what to say._

Shepard narrowed her eyes as she flipped the page. That couldn't be it.

_OK, so that's not true. You know that. I'm just bad at putting things in words. I'd much rather show you than tell you, but since I can't, words will have to do. Hopefully you'll forgive me for any...er...inaccuracies. I'm still figuring everything out, and we didn't exactly have all the time in the world._

_I should answer your question about why I've never gotten rough with you. At first, we spent quite a bit of time just figuring this thing out. Seemed a little premature. To be honest, it never crossed my mind; I wasn't sure if you'd be ok with that, or if I'd just scare you off. I AM a lot taller and stronger than you to begin with. Of course, now that I know your thoughts on the matter, I'd be happy to oblige...after I try out a few things._

_First, I want to practice kissing you. It's not something my people do, and to be honest, I thought it was strange the first time you did it. Turian mouths aren't exactly made for such things. But the sounds you make when I get it right are their own goddamn reward. I don't know if you're aware, but you make this little hitching, gasping sound whenever I surprise you. Call it positive reinforcement to get me to learn._

_Second, I want to see how many times I can make you scream my name in one night. You're usually pretty quiet, but I've gotten you to break a few times, like on Ilium. The way you arch up against me when you say my name is nothing short of intoxicating. Think about it. If you want, we could even keep score, though I think I'd win. You're welcome to take that as a challenge if you like. Loser buys the next bottle of wine._

_And third, I want to make love to you in the shower. You'd be all warm and wet with water droplets on your skin and lips, and your skin would flush with the heat. You'd look up at me with those incredible eyes, maybe pull me into the water with you. I don't know what exactly would happen, but I have a few ideas. I'll share them with you if the Alliance retrofit keeps that private shower of yours. The ones down on crew level are too small to comfortably fit a turian anyway._

_So...that's it for now. Have I given you some food for thought before your next letter?_

_-G_

After nearly a minute of sitting completely still, she very slowly folded up the letter and slipped it under her pillow before lying down. "Thanks, Garrus," she murmured as she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. "Spirits be with you too."


	5. Chapter 4

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

__A/N: This fic will be wrapping up in a few chapters. Thank you all for reading and reviewing :) For those who are curious, the poem at the end is "Unforgotten," by Robert Service.

* * *

><p>Garrus was not a morning person. Yet this morning found him taking a red-eye shuttle to the Menae-Palaven spaceport, reading over an urgent message he'd received at the asscrack of dawn.<p>

_Garrus-_

_I know this comes out of nowhere, but I need to see you in person. Please meet me inside Docking Bay S26 of the the spaceport to Menae before 0900 hours. I've shaken the Cerberus forces on my tail for now, but I don't know Palaven well enough to lie low here._

_-Miranda Lawson_

If he was honest with himself, Garrus had no idea what to make of the message. It came over a secure frequency that he recognized from Miranda's omnitool, but Cerberus was good. It could just as easily be a trap as genuine. But he had to check it out regardless; he didn't want to risk Shepard's fury if something happened to Miranda.

He never knew what to think of Miranda, even though Shepard seemed to trust her implicitly. After a rough start, the two women had bonded like sisters. They thought alike, fought alike, even looked alike with their black hair and blue eyes. His relationship with the former Cerberus operative had never been more than a professional one, but if she needed help, he could hardly turn her down. She _had_ returned Shepard to him.

Garrus stepped out of the shuttle, stifling his yawns as he headed inside the quiet spaceport. There weren't a lot of people around this early in the morning. A few military recruits saluted him as he went, and he nodded to acknowledge them.

Even with the spaceport as empty as it was, it still took him a minute or two to pick out Miranda. She was leaning behind a pillar in the shadows of the docking bay, wearing her usual black. As soon as she saw him, she beckoned him over with the hint of a smile.

"It's good to see you again, Garrus," she said quietly.

"You too, Miranda." Garrus looked around the hangar. They were mostly alone for now. "Isn't this a little exposed?"

Miranda shrugged and led him to the customs officer's office, currently locked and dark. With a few clicks of her omnitool, she opened the door and let them inside. "This guy's crooked," she said, wrinkling her nose. "But it also means he's disabled the surveillance in his office. We can talk here."

She looked tired, even paler than Garrus remembered. "How are you holding up?"

She made a face. "Life on the run is hardly glamorous, but I know how to take care of myself. You're asking on Shepard's behalf, I take it."

"She's worried about you," said Garrus. "I don't think she was too happy when I told her I couldn't get a hold of you."

"I'm glad you couldn't. I need to cover my tracks." Miranda perched herself on on the desk in the office. The omnitool on her arm glowed bright orange as she brought up a series of documents. Garrus immediately recognized the encryption as Cerberus. Plans for a new kind of mech, research base locations...all of it timestamped within the last few months, none of it familiar to him.

"I thought you were on the run," he said, staring at the data. "I doubt the Illusive Man just handed you all this."

"He wasn't going to give me anything but a bullet between the eyes," said Miranda evenly. "I could hardly make him angrier by stealing his secrets. Besides, Shepard asked me to get her any information I could on Cerberus. I keep my promises."

"So why give this to me?"

Miranda fixed him with that cool blue gaze. "We both know the answer to that."

"Shepard's a bad influence on you, you know that?" said Garrus with a slightly exasperated sigh. To his surprise, Miranda chuckled.

"She said you were a worse influence on her." Garrus laughed as Miranda popped an OSD out of her omnitool and handed it to him. "Get this to Shepard any way you can," she continued. "Copy it out longhand, read it to her, I don't care. Cerberus is planning something big, and she needs to know." Miranda hesitated, then added very quietly, "The Alliance needs to know."

Garrus set his jaw and nodded. "What about you?" he said. "If you need a safe place to hide, I can help you lie low."

She shook her head. "No. Painting a target on your back would only complicate things. The Illusive Man knows you're emotionally important to Shepard, though he doesn't know how important. If he did..." She trailed off into silence.

An inadvertent shudder went down Garrus's spine. He knew the Illusive Man wasn't above such tactics, and he didn't want to think about it at all. He looked back at Miranda to see her regarding him with an unusually sympathetic expression.

"Take care of yourself," she said as she opened the office door.

"You too, Miranda." He watched her disappear into the main spaceport. Part of him considered tracking her, but he thought better of it. She'd probably just find out and sent him some sort of snide email, and whatever was going on with Cerberus, she was hell-bent on handling it herself. Garrus went back outside and hopped into a different shuttle. He was wide-awake now, like it or not. He might as well get some work done.

Or at least, that was the thought until he made it to his office and saw a letter sitting on his desk.

"I'm starting to think you're the bad influence, Shepard," Garrus mused as he tucked the letter into his pocket. He'd made the mistake of reading one at work before; he wasn't going to do it again. The early morning rush was beginning to kick into high gear; by the time he got home, he could hear Solana moving around in the main living quarters.

"Morning," she said brightly when she saw Garrus come through the front door of the apartment. "You got out awfully early."

Shepard's letter was practically burning a hole in his pocket, but he was damned if he was going to show that in front of his sister. "Yeah, I needed to meet up with a contact at the spaceport. But now, I'm going back to sleep. Work can wait until this afternoon."

"Uh huh. Must've been some contact to get your ass out of bed before dawn."

Garrus sighed. "Drop it, Sol. I couldn't talk about it even if I wanted to."

"You talked to Dad when you got back. For days." His sister leaned against one of the couches and fixed him with an accusatory glare.

"Are we really getting into this again?" asked Garrus, exasperated. "I talked to Dad, and he trusted me. I've told you everything I can that isn't classified. Isn't that good enough?"

She didn't reply, just twisted her hands in her lap. Garrus walked over to Solana and put an arm around her shoulders. She was really still a kid in some ways; he couldn't expect her to understand what was at stake.

"Everything I did out there in the Terminus, everything on the first Normandy, I did to keep you safe," he said. "Do you at least believe that?"

"Yeah, okay." Solana squirmed out of his one-armed hug. "Go get some sleep."

That wasn't the plan, but she didn't need know that. Garrus made his way back to his room, locked the door, and closed the sun shutters. He opened Shepard's letter and started to read by the faint orange glow of his omnitool.

_Garrus-_

_You crazy, reckless turian bastard. You do realize it would've been lights for us both if the Alliance found that letter? And I'm not just talking about breaking house arrest rules, I'm talking about blackmail material. I'm pretty sure I would've evaporated from humiliation if, say, Lieutenant Vega had gotten his hands on that. Then what would you've done about the Reapers? You're lucky Liara's good, I think you owe her and Feron a crate of fine liquor once this is over. Or several apologies._

_Things are getting...tense around here. The trickle of batarian refugees that started a few weeks ago has swelled to a flood. A few of our border worlds actually thought the batarians were invading before realizing the ships were all unarmed, packed cockpit to engine room with civilians. I'm sure you've seen it on the vids. The brass doesn't want to admit it, but everyone here knows it. They're coming, Garrus. And I'm stuck here advising a bunch of uniforms on how to repel the enemy that decimated the Protheans._

_We've doubled our patrols on the borders of batarian space, set up refugee camps, created failsafes for our comm buoys, even sent scout flotillas out there to figure out our first line of defense. But you and I both know it won't be enough. All I can hope is that it'll buy us some precious time. I wish they'd just listened to me three years ago. I wish-_

_I wish you were here. Yeah, here, on Earth, under house arrest with me. It's selfish, but it'd make the endless meetings and restless nights go by a lot easier. I suppose I should thank you for appealing to your spirits for me. Every time I feel frustrated or helpless, I think of you. I'm pretty sure that's not how it works, but it helps. Thanks._

"Believe me, Shepard," whispered Garrus, "I wish I was there too." Her patience was breaking; he could almost hear the exasperation in her voice. Willing her to hold on just a little longer, he returned his attention to the rest of her letter.

_Of course, I am still going to punch you the moment I see you for being such an idiot about contacting me. Punch first, then I'll kiss you. Maybe. That might depend on whether we're in public or not, though at this point, I'm starting to wonder how much either of us will care about decorum. I suppose you did tone it down after Miss Chambers walked in on us while we were taking the elevator up to the Captain's quarters on the SR2._

_What I could really use more than anything else is just a hug. I used to never need physical contact, but you have this way of wrapping me up in your arms and holding on like you never intend to let go. I miss that. I used to fall asleep like that. Imagination's a poor substitute; sometimes I envy Thane's memory. Thanks, by the way, for telling me what's up with him. I hope you or Liara can eventually get a lock on Miranda._

_As much as I'd like to repay you for that last letter, I'm just too tired. I'll even give you this round if you like. But I think I'll also take a leaf out of Ashley Williams' book and leave you with this. Godspeed, Garrus._

_I know the garden where the lilies gleam,_  
><em>And one who lingers in the sunshine there;<em>  
><em>She is than white-stoled lily far more fair,<em>  
><em>And, oh, her eyes are heaven-lit with dream!<em>

_I know the garret, cold and dark and drear,_  
><em>And one who toils and toils with tireless pen,<em>  
><em>Until his brave, sad eyes grow weary – then<em>  
><em>He seeks the stars pale, silent as a seer.<em>

_And, ah, it's strange; for, desolate and dim,_  
><em>Between these two there rolls an ocean wide;<em>  
><em>Yet he is in the garden by her side<em>  
><em>And she is in garret there with him.<em>

_-Kaliya_


	6. Chapter 5

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

One beautiful, sunny Vancouver morning found Kaliya Shepard holed out in her quarters, scanning Garrus's latest letter into her omnitool. She had the hologram projected on the clean white walls of her room, picking through what data Garrus had been able to get to her.

Garrus had crammed as much information as he could in tiny printed font over nine sheets of paper, front and back. Schematics, science logs, coordinates-everything he'd deemed important. If she knew Miranda, it was probably less than a tenth of all the information Miranda had given him, but it was still priceless.

To be honest, she couldn't decide whether she was relieved Miranda was alive, impressed at Garrus's ingenuity, or terrified at what she was seeing. The ATLAS mech was enough to make her blood run cold. And then there were the consistent references to an AI project code-named EVA; she had a sneaking suspicion that the Illusive Man hadn't been happy with EDI breaking free of her shackles.

"Christ," she said to herself as the last page went in. "What am I going to do with all this?"

Handing it over to the Alliance would mean admitting she'd been violating the terms of her house arrest for months. It would also completely undermine her position that she'd cut all ties with Cerberus; no matter what she said, there was no way they were going to trust Miranda on faith like she did. If the brass needed an excuse to lock her up, here it was, packaged and gift-wrapped.

But she couldn't just sit on information like this, not indefinitely. Feeling a headache coming on, Shepard turned off her omnitool, pushed the rest of the paper aside, and laid back on her back with the last page of Garrus's letter.

_Kaliya-_

_You can probably tell what this is all about. I'm sorry for taking so long to respond to you; Miranda pinged me a few weeks ago with a wealth of information that she'd been able to hack from Cerberus sites or pry from their agents sent to hunt her. I don't know the details of how she got all this and I honestly don't want to, but here it is. She told me to get it to you in any way possible, so I sat down with it for a couple weeks and picked out all the critical information._

_It's big. Really big. I don't even want to think about what they'd be able to do if Lazarus Cell was still under the Illusive Man's thumb. As far as Miranda can tell, it looks like Cerberus is gearing up for full-scale war. Against us, against the Alliance, against the Reapers...it's hard to say. But considering how much the Illusive Man is out for your blood, I'd expect the worst. We can be pleasantly surprised later if I'm wrong._

_Hard to believe we ever worked for the bastards._

Shepard closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Even after taking out the Collector base, even with all she'd been through, swallowing her pride and personal integrity to work with Cerberus had been the hardest day of her life. She had no choice. It'd been for the good of the galaxy. But the fact that she'd been forced to do the Illusive Man's dirty work, take his money and resources, even owe him her life...that stung, and it would always sting.

_Anyway, the files speak for themselves. I know you're worried about taking this to the brass, but there are over a dozen highly trained killers out here in the galaxy ready to spring you at a moment's notice if this goes south. There is no way we're letting the Alliance hurl you in irons over this. Every one of us who fought with you would sooner die than abandon you. You can put me at the top of that list._

_Because you're right. You and that poem you sent me. I suppose I should've known you'd be the literary sort with all the books you used to own. It doesn't matter how many light-years or Reapers or spirits know what else are between us. I realized that after the Collectors destroyed the first Normandy. You were in everything; the ruined Presidium, the shadows of the Wards, the very armor I wore. You never left, even though you were lying on an operating table spirits know where._

_Sorry if that sounded...er...maudlin. You know I'm not great at the talking. I just want to help. You've got this habit of keeping things to yourself even when you know you shouldn't. Maybe I'm just flattering myself, but I'd like to think you trust me enough to tell me when you need a shoulder to lean on. I think that's the human phrase. Is that the human phrase?_

_Anyway, I've only got so much space for the Cerberus intel. I hope this reaches you and the Alliance in time. And don't worry about the brass; if they so much as lay a finger on you, I'll tear them in half myself._

_-Garrus_

She slowly folded his page into her pocket; the nine other pages, the only other copy of the Cerberus intel, went through the shredder.

At times like this, she missed Miranda. Despite getting off to a rocky start, they'd slowly become excellent friends. She could always rely on Miranda to tell her exactly what she didn't want to hear when she needed it. Shepard opened the door and headed out; maybe a walk on the roof would help clear her head, give her some time to think.

She'd barely rounded the corner toward the elevator when Major Kaidan Alenko almost ran right into her. His shoulders tensed when he recognized her.

"Major," she said, nodding to acknowledge him.

"Shepard. Sorry." He took a few hasty steps back, still avoiding her eyes. "I didn't expect to see you out and about."

"Going for a walk doesn't violate the terms of my house arrest," she replied evenly.

"What? No, that's not at all what I was implying." There was a very awkward silence while they waited for the elevator that Shepard tried her best to ignore. It went like this every time she happened to bump into him. Part of her wanted to headbutt him in frustration. The rest of her recognized that as too much time spent with Grunt and the krogan.

"How-how have you been?" he asked as the elevator doors closed around them.

"I'm doing well, all things considered." Shepard's cool blue eyes met his, holding his gaze. She counted to three in her head before he looked away.

"Good," he said to his feet. "That's good."

"Come up to the roof with me. We need to discuss something."

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew she had him. Kaidan's eyes widened to the size of saucers. He opened his mouth as if to say something, swallowed, then nodded and punched the button for roof access. Thank goodness the elevators on Earth were newer than the ones on the Citadel.

He followed her out onto the roof of Alliance headquarters, under the clear dome that afforded one of the most fantastic views of the city. "I'm transferring data on Cerberus to your omnitool," she said without preamble. Her own glowed a sickly orange under the warm, bright sunlight. "Consider it a token of goodwill from the Shadow Broker."

Kaidan narrowed his eyes, but didn't shut off the data transfer. "You said you gave us all the data you could on Cerberus," he said, his expression hardening.

"Your hearing's gotten a bit selective," she said testily. "I said this is from the Shadow Broker. I did the Broker a favor or two, and it seems that debt is being repaid." He didn't need to know more than that.

"You're under house arrest, Shepard. How in the world could-"

"The Broker has agents everywhere, even here. Even within Cerberus. I'm passing it along to you. For old times' sake."

He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at her as the file transfer completed. "You expect me to believe that an agent of the Shadow Broker snuck into Alliance headquarters, the highest security place on the planet, and just slipped a few sheets of paper under your bedroom door?"

She gave him a chilling smile and said, "No. No more than I expected anyone to believe me about Ilos. Or Horizon."

Three years ago, she would've felt guilt over how pale he went, how quickly he booked it for the elevator. Now, she felt almost nothing at manipulating her former friend...just a little queasy. Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the edge of the roof and looked out over Vancouver.

Closing her eyes let her pretend it was Ilium again, after they'd blown up the Collector base. Garrus had taken her to the top of the Armali Council building to just sit, enjoy a drink, and watch the sun set over the glittering city. She could almost feel his arms around her, the low rumble of his chuckle vibrating through both of their chests. Everything else fell away when he held her like that; the Collectors, Reapers, Cerberus...just so much white noise in the background compared to his warmth and gentle strength.

"Shepard? Shepard, I need you to get down to the defense committee's meeting rooms, now."

The tension in Anderson's voice instantly shattered the peaceful memory. "What is it?" she asked.

His silence told her all she needed to know. Suddenly the sunshine pouring down over the roof felt stripped of all its warmth. Shepard swallowed hard. She had never been the praying type, but as she looked up at the cloudless sky, she asked the galaxy for just one favor. It was the least she could hope for after saving it twice.

_What grace is given me, let it pass to him. Spare Palaven. Save him._


	7. Chapter 7

**Letters from the Brig**

_By KSCrusaders (Sable Rhapsody on BSN)_

"If someone had told me this morning that you'd be hauling me and a turian primarch off this hellhole..."

"I'm so sorry, Garrus. I wish I could have gotten here sooner."

"It's ok. I know you did everything you could."

The sadness in Kaliya Shepard's eyes was answer enough. She stood beside Garrus in front of the Normandy's new Kodiak shuttle, waiting for Victus to finish saying goodbye to his men. Some of them glanced at her; she had the good grace to meet the eyes of the soldiers she was condemning to die.

She had never looked so beautiful to Garrus; long black hair stirring slightly in the backdraft of the shuttle's engines, bright blue eyes burning as she looked up at Palaven. But he couldn't even say anything to her in front of the primarch and his men. To them, she was an icon. She had to stay that way.

Victus finally turned away from his second-in-command and entered the shuttle. Shepard, Vega, and Garrus followed in silence. She made her way up to the cockpit to talk to Cortez.

"Signal Normandy to ready the war room, as well as quarters for the primarch," she said.

"Yes, ma'am." Cortez gave her a long look as the shuttle took off. "You ok, Commander?"

Her hands were shaking. Shepard took a moment to compose herself and nodded. "I'm fine. Mostly relieved the mission was a success." She made her way back to the three men and strapped herself in. She could feel Garrus's gaze boring a hole in the side of her head, but she didn't dare look at him. She wasn't sure she could keep it together in front of the primarch if she did.

"Thank you, Primarch," she said to Victus. "This war summit is just about the only hope I have of bringing everyone together against the Reapers."

Victus gave her a long, searching look. "I'm still getting used to the title. But you're welcome, Commander. Garrus tells me you have a history of uniting people."

Shepard shrugged. "All I did was befriend some...interesting individuals."

"That's what you call being buddies with an AI, the head of the krogan clans, and the Shadow Broker?" said Vega. When Shepard merely shrugged, he shook his head. "Loco. The whole lot of you."

"You didn't shoot when Wrex pulled a gun on you, that has to count for something," said Garrus dryly. "Come to think of it, Commander, a lot of your friends have nearly gotten you killed at some point or another."

The look she gave him warmed him from head to toe. "You haven't," she said very quietly.

Garrus glanced quickly at Victus, who was watching their exchange with a carefully expressionless face. Thank the spirits for the new shuttle pilot's quick work; the engines shuddered as the Kodiak pulled into Normandy's shuttle bay within a matter of minutes. Shepard got the door for them after giving her pilot a quick pat on the back.

"I apologize for the state of the ship," she said as Victus and Garrus exited the shuttle. "Normandy was in the final stages of retrofit when we left Earth. She's fully functional, just looks a little unfinished."

"As long as she can shoot and stealth, she's perfect," said Victus. "I imagine you want to debrief your people," he added, glancing at Vega. "Meet me in the war room when you're done." With that, he turned on his heel and made for the elevator.

Vega let out a long, low whistle when the primarch had gone. "Well, he's a badass, I'll give him that. Just watched his planet get toasted and didn't even miss a beat. Still, can't blame him if he'd rather be shooting Reapers than babysitting politicians."

"Babysitting the politicians is my job," said Shepard evenly. "If everyone makes it out of this summit with their vital organs intact, I'll call it a win."

"Better you than me, Shepard." Vega snapped a quick salute and headed over to the armory to clean out his weapons, leaving Garrus and Shepard a bit of privacy. He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to the punch.

"The Normandy's retrofitted weapons might need some calibrating," she said with a small smile. Her smile expanded to a grin when Garrus made a face.

"If those engineers messed with my Thanix cannons, I'll-"

"Relax, Garrus," she said, chuckling. "It shouldn't take long." She hesitated, then added, "Meet me in the captain's quarters when you're done. I want to talk to you in private."

_To hell with privacy_, he wanted to say. _And to hell with talking_. But instead, he just held her eyes for as long as he dared, until a faint blush started rising in her cheeks. Then he nodded and said, "As you wish."

Shepard watched him go, praying the primarch wouldn't keep her for long.

* * *

><p>Shepard's door was unlocked. Garrus stepped into the familiar captain's quarters-and dropped the bottle of expensive wine. It bounced and rolled under her desk, but he couldn't care less.<p>

She was standing there in nothing more than a bathrobe, the shower running behind her. She gave him a faint, almost shy smile. "You did say something about a hot shower when we saw each other again," she said quietly.

Garrus closed the distance between them in two strides and cupped her face in both hands. Shepard let out a surprised gasp; he pulled her body against his, both their hearts pounding. She opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her with a kiss-gentle, tender, as though he was reacquainting himself with how she tasted.

Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer; he could feel her fingers shaking. "Spirits help me, Kaliya," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. "You don't make self control easy."

"No need for decorum here," she whispered back, her smile widening. "I doubt anyone's watching."

"You did tell EDI to get rid of the security bugs, right?" He laughed when she made a face at him.

"You always were a ray of sunshine," she said. Then her smile faded. "If...if this is too soon-"

Garrus buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. "I wanted you from the moment I saw you on Menae. I almost kissed you right there, in front of everyone." His voice dropped to a growl as he nuzzled her neck. "Spirits, I missed you so much."

"Keep...ah...keep talking." Her hands fumbled at the catches and zippers of his clothes, each motion acutely familiar.

His hands slipped to her waist, slowly untying her bathrobe. "Mmm...you always did like my voice. What's the magic word?"

"That was an order, Vakarian," she whispered, her eyes dancing. She wiggled out of his grasp, blue energy surging around her arms. Before Garrus could react, she'd shoved him into the shower, half-undone clothes and all. He leaned his head against the cold metal wall and groaned as she shed the bathrobe and knelt in front of him, her hands slowly making their way up his thighs.

"Keep talking," she repeated. Somehow he found the coordination to shed his gloves and shirt; he ran his talons through her hair and was rewarded with a contented murmur.

"You'll need to undress me faster," he gasped. He could feel her breath, her fingers, through the sodden cloth of his pants. "Kaliya..._please_."

She got to her feet and undid the last clasp on his clothes, taking a step back to look at him. For a moment that felt like an eternity, they simply stood there and stared at one another. Water ran in rivulets down the sharp lines and muscles of Garrus's torso. Shepard's eyelashes were covered in droplets, her cheeks warm and flushed.

He reached out and stroked her cheek. "You really are beautiful, you know that?" Her eyes fluttered shut, and she turned her face to plant a kiss on his palm.

"So now what?" she asked. "You said you had some ideas about what would happen next." She watched, puzzled, as his expression turned deadly serious. He wrapped his arms around her, keen eyes searching her face.

"I know you," he whispered. "I know you'll give everything to win this war, even if you have nothing left to sacrifice. So I'm going to give you something not even the Reapers can take away."

She couldn't speak. A dozen questions and a million responses spun in her head; her emotions had been such a whirl since she saw him on Menae. Finally, she swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. He smiled at her, touched her cheek with one talon.

"Close your eyes," he said. She obliged, felt him place his hands on her hips. He stepped toward her slowly and deliberately until her back was pressed against the wall; she could feel his breath on her cheeks and neck. Garrus flicked the very tip of his tongue along the hollow of her throat; she let out a gasp, arched up against him.

"Garrus..."

"Shh. Let go of everything." He worked his way up her neck to her jawline, leaving little red marks wherever he nipped a little harder. Shepard's hands found the underside of his fringe, and he had to bury a groan in her shoulder. Quick as a flash, he pushed her hands away and dropped to his knees, slipping his tongue inside her.

She cried out and bucked against him; she was already so wet, and not from the shower. Garrus set a blistering pace, licking her as roughly as he dared. She rocked her hips against him, urging him on, and it wasn't long before she felt the slow pressure and heat pooling between her legs.

"Don't stop," she whispered. Her hands clutched his cowl, nails digging into his skin. "_Garrus_-"

He felt rather than heard her cries as she tensed and shuddered against him. He waited until her breathing slowed before pulling away and rinsing his tongue on the streams of hot water. She opened her eyes, and found him looking up at her with a slightly goofy turian smile.

When he stood up, she wrapped her legs around his waist; he had to support her weight with his hands on the backs of her thighs. Blue eyes met his, dewed with droplets of water.

"Make love to me."

He closed his eyes and shivered, resting his forehead against hers. "As you wish."

This time, he took it slow, punctuating each thrust with a kiss. When she felt his teeth scrape her skin, she pressed all ten fingers against the sensitive spot at the back of his fringe. It all started to run together; the water, the hissing of the current, his increasing growls and her moans.

_I love you_, he thought fiercely as her body clenched around him and his climax took him. _Spirits help me, I love you so much._

When he recovered his senses, they were both slumped against the wall of the shower, her body cradled against his. Shepard reached over and turned the water off, letting him keep her warm. Her eyes caught the pile of sodden clothes in the corner of the shower, and he heard her laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his voice still ragged.

"It'll take a while for those to dry," she said, gently bumping her forehead against his scarred cheek. "I hope you got those calibrations done."

"You do remember who you're talking to, right?"

"I'm just saying, you'll probably be stuck here overnight," she replied with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Garrus sighed, tightening his embrace.

He'd stay forever if he could, but one night was enough for now. He gave her one last squeeze, then got up to look for towels. His eyes lingered on the marks his teeth had left on her shoulder, and she smiled.

"I think I'll keep a set of scars to match yours," she said. "My cybernetics are mostly healed anyway." Garrus chuckled and tossed her a towel.

"So...have you thought of what to do while we're here?" she asked as they dried themselves off.

"I did bring some really excellent wine," he said thoughtfully. "And...there was one more thing. I was writing a letter to you that I never got to send."

"Really?" Shepard tilted her head to one side as she made her way to the couch. "Well, you could always read it to me."

"You read my mind." Garrus tossed the towel aside and retrieved the bottle of wine from underneath the desk. He poured them each a glass before pulling a blanket off of her bed to keep them both warm. It was like nothing else he'd ever experienced, relaxing on her couch under warm blankets, with her curled up against him.

He booted up his omnitool, opened the file, and began to read. "Dear Kaliya..."


End file.
